The Green Bay Packers are clearly concerned about one huge part of their offense, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get better. Green Bay has struggled to run the ball all season. There was some expectation that running back Josh Jacobs’ return from the Commissioner’s Exempt List could change that. It simply hasn’t happened.

The issue is structural. The offensive line hasn’t been able to run block, especially on the interior. Beyond the line, the entire run game structure looks broken right now.

“Disappointing,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. “Obviously, we got the one first down, then tried to lean on the run game and went backwards. That’s an area of emphasis that we have to improve because it puts a lot of pressure on the passing game to find ways to move the ball down the field. We have to find something we can hang our hat on in the run game, and unfortunately, we haven’t done that yet.”

The Packers are 5-3 and have not had at least 90 rushing yards in a single game this season. According to Sumer Sports, that is the most wins without breaking the 90+ yard rushing mark in at least one game since 2016.

Packers couldn’t make it work against the worst run defense in football

On Thursday night, the Packers faced the Carolina Panthers, a defense ranked 32nd in rushing yards allowed per game and 27th in rush EPA. That means Carolina has allowed plenty of volume on the ground and has also been inefficient at stopping the run. The Panthers fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero after the game. Even so, Green Bay couldn’t take advantage.

Jacobs ran 21 times for only 39 yards, an average of 1.9 yards per carry. The backups didn’t do any better. MarShawn Lloyd averaged 2.1 yards per carry (three attempts for seven yards), and Pierre Strong had one carry for two yards.

The Packers tried to manufacture something on the ground with creative calls. An end-around to wide receiver Savion Williams went for 18 yards. Outside of that, though, the traditional run game never got going.

As a consequence, quarterback Jordan Love has to carry the offense on his shoulders through the passing game. That’s a lot of stress on one player, and it was against the worst run defense in the NFL. Better run defenses will make it even harder.

Structurally, Matt LaFleur wants to run the ball

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said the coaching staff has to keep working and trying to find solutions. He didn’t sound particularly hopeful that a fix is around the corner, but he made it clear the staff can’t give up on the run game.

“If I’m being honest, not a lot right now (hope it’ll get better),” LaFleur admitted. “That’s our job as coaches. We have to figure it out because it’s not good enough.”

And that’s because LaFleur’s offense depends on it. The system is run-centric, not necessarily because LaFleur wants to be run-heavy, but because the run game ties everything together. Plays are designed to look similar, creating the illusion of complexity that LaFleur often talks about and keeping defenses on their toes.

When the Packers are playing at a high level, they get consistency from the run game and then hunt explosive plays in the passing game. That balance hasn’t been possible this season. The passing game has to do everything, from moving the chains with short gains to producing the big plays.

The running backs, meanwhile, have no shot at creating explosives behind this lack of consistency. At times, the runs feel like wasted downs, because Green Bay can’t get anything going on the ground.

Running out of answers

The Packers might have to rethink the structure of the plays themselves. The problem is that they have already tried different approaches. Earlier in the season, they leaned on outside zone with shorter guards in Donovan Jennings and Jacob Monk. They also tried more gap schemes from heavier formations, with Laken Tomlinson and Travis Glover. Neither approach has worked at a reasonable level.

Green Bay has a pretty big problem on its hands. The mini-bye after the Thursday game could help, and LaFleur and his staff will likely come up with some creative ideas to resuscitate the run game.

The evidence so far, however, suggests the Packers won’t be able to fix it this year. That creates a scenario where Love will have to keep carrying the offense by himself, without the support from the ground game that was so important early in his career and throughout LaFleur’s tenure as head coach in Green Bay.